U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey says he has appointed a special prosecutor to decide whether criminal charges should be brought against his predecessor. Mukasey, in a statement released Monday, said he has appointed Nora Dannehy, acting U.S.

By Kevin Johnson WASHINGTON -- Former attorney general Alberto Gonzales mishandled highly classified information related to two of the government's most sensitive counterterrorism programs, including its controversial domestic surveillance operation, a Justice Department report released Tuesday said.

By Lara Jakes Jordan WASHINGTON - Former Justice Department officials broke the law by letting Bush administration politics dictate the hiring of prosecutors, immigration judges and other career government lawyers, according to an internal investigation released Monday.

WASHINGTON _ Aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales violated federal laws and Justice Department policies by illegally selecting employees based on their conservative and Republican leanings, a joint report by two department watchdog agencies reported Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats pounded away on Monday at
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' defense of President George
W. Bush's electronic eavesdropping program, with one voicing
frustration that Gonzales would not answer questions relevant
to the congressional probe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush Administration refused on
Friday to release some documents sought by Democratic lawmakers
from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' work as deputy
solicitor general, opening the door for conflict as the Senate
votes later this year on his confirmation.

Word of the Day

pawl

A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.